Carpe Diem
by PartyLikeRockstars
Summary: Laura Donovan is the first American witch to ever set a foot on Hogwarts, where she befriends a group of talented wizards. They have classes- and fight against the evil forces that want them dead- like normal teenagers would. But what happens when the natural rival of your house- a guy both you and your friends hate- for the past three years suddenly asks you to the Yule Ball?


**Author's Note: **Hey, just so you know, this is my first HP fic. So please, I beg you, go slow on me.

If you want to know, we will start from Goblet Of Fire and so on, although I will make a resume of the first year in the first chapter. Like highlights of what happened during that moment when she was sorted. Then, the action begins!

Anyways, I hope you guys like this story. I've had it in my head since last year; so here we go!

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_**Chapter 1- **__The Road To Hogwarts_

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**September 1, 1991**

"How do you think we will be able to get to Platform 9 3/4? Any ideas, James?" She asked her older brother. They were standing at Platform 9 in King's Cross Station with their parents and other siblings. There was their dad, Aaron Donovan, a very tall man with dirty blond hair and sparkling deep blue eyes; then their mother, Jane Donovan, who was shorter in comparison and had light brown hair and dark brown eyes, she was standing beside the father, holding his hand and looking rather confused. Jane was a muggle, or as Aaron would say, a non-magical person. Therefore, the little kids were half-bloods.

Besides the woman, there was a young man with dirty blond hair and dark brown eyes; that was their eldest brother, Mason Donovan. He is 21 years old and has started working at the Ministry of Magic with their father. Mason was holding by the hand his younger sister, the youngest of the family, Avalon Donovan, or Ava, as she hates her full name. Ava was barely five years old (at this point she was struggling to get out of Mason's grasp) and had her mother's curly brown hair and her father's deep blue eyes. Ava was meant to stay at home with Jane before she could go to Hogwarts and start learning.

The other boy, James, was the living copy of his father, he had his dirty blond hair and deep blue eyes, but also he had his electric prankster-like personality and signature smirk. He was going to start his third year at Hogwarts (the evil human being was 13 years old), but the family just had moved from the United States. From Salem, Massachusetts, precisely. Then, there was the young girl, Laura Donovan, an 11 year old about to start on her first year. Unlike James, she was the full resemblance of her mother; she had from her curly light brown hair, to those dark brown eyes of hers.

James looked at her and shrugged in response. She groaned, "Well, this is great! We are stuck!" Mason let out a loud groan as he picked Ava from the ground and held her in his arms. "Why don't you ask someone?" He suggested, making Laura strut closer to him and slap his back, as she was still smaller than her 6 foot tall brother. "You idiot! You can't just ask!"

"Uh, Mason, I think she has a valid point." Mr. Donovan agreed. "Plus, people will think that you're nuts!" He said. James decided to look away and his sight landed on a family of red-heads wearing weird clothes and carrying trunks and cages. He left his family behind and went to ask the woman.

"Excuse me ma'am?" James poked her arm making the woman turn around to face the thirteen year-old boy.

"Yes, young man?" She said.

"Do you know how to get to Platform 9 ¾? Is just that me and my family are lost." He said.

"Yes! Yes indeed. I see you are not from here. Don't worry. My son Ron is on his first year too. Why don't you bring your family?" He nodded and muttered a 'thank you' to the woman and went for his family.

"Guys! There's this HUGE ginger family that knows how to get to the platform! They are wizards too! C'mon, they'll show us!" He said excitedly, taking his luggage and making his family follow him until they arrived next to the family of red-heads.

"Oh but what a lovely family you've got! What is your name, young man? I am Molly Weasley and these are my sons Percy," She pointed to one with curly red hair "Fred and George," she pointed to a pair of twins his age, then to a younger red head "and this is Ron, he'll be starting his first year." Molly finished. Aaron stepped over.

"It's nice to meet you Molly. I'm Aaron Donovan; this is my wife, Jane, my two sons, Mason and James and my two daughters Laura and Ava. It's also Laura's first year. James will be on his third." He extended his hand and gave Molly a nice handshake. She smiled.

"Oh really? That's nice. Maybe she'll be friends with Ron. The twins are also starting their third year." She said. "I have noticed you are not from here. Am I correct?" She inquired. While Jane nodded.

"Yeah, Aaron and Mason both got a job in the ministry. So they got us transferred from the United States." Jane said.

"That's lovely! My husband also works at the ministry. You will probably meet him there."

"Mrs. Weasley, how do we get to the platform?" Laura said shyly.

"Oh right! Well, you walk through that wall and then you appear at the platform! Percy, please show them." She ordered and Percy ran through the wall, disappearing magically. Laura noticed another boy that was wearing roundy-looking glasses talking with Ron, but she brushed it off immediately.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley." Aaron thanked her and turned to his family. "Now we better get moving or the train will leave you guys. Laura, you first." She widened her eyes and took a firm grip on the cart carrying her luggage and muttered, "Okay dad, but if I crash it's on you." She took off running and closed her eyes in fear of crashing, but then, she opened them and saw the station.

"Wow." She whispered. It was big and clean and so spacious. The train was in front of her and there were lots of teens getting in the train. Her siblings and her parents took no less than five minutes to appear next to her as well as the Weasley family. James and Laura both turned around to their family.

"Well, I guess it's time right? We should get on the train." James stated, Laura replying with a nod. Aaron wrapped Laura in a bear hug and kissed her cheek, while Jane kissed her son all over his face. Then they switched places and James hugged his father dearly while muttering "I love you dad." And Laura almost left her mother breathless with the tightest bear hug she ever gave. Both of them hugged their siblings and said their goodbyes.

"You two be good. 'Cause if you don't-"

"Aaron…" Jane cut off her husband. He looked at her and grinned.

"Right. Make sure to send your letters, ok? I love you. And remember, don't get in trouble." He finished.

"Goodbye mom. Bye dad. Bye to you two." James said.

"See you guys for Christmas. I love you!" Laura said while taking her suitcase and James took his, both getting into the train and handing their suitcases. They only kept the owl cages and their backpacks as they strode down the hallway and the train started to move. They went to the nearest window to see their parents and when they did, James waved at them and Laura blew kisses. Finally when they were out of sight they started their quest for an empty compartment.

The quest ended almost at the end. But they did manage to find an empty cabin. Laura sat down in a bench and James took the other. She took a glance at her owl. It was a very young Snowy Owl that she bought in Diagon Alley with her brothers, but unlike the other of its species, it was completely white and had no black spot on his feathers and had blue eyes. She opened the cage and let the owl stand on her arm as she pet him, giving him owl treats. When she first saw him, she fell in love with him and decided to name him Sky; because the blue of his eyes remembered her the sky. James' owl was different; it was a young Great Grey Owl that he named Hootie, due to the sounds that she made.

When she was done with petting Sky she put him back in his cage. Then the door of the cabin opened and the same boy with glasses that she saw at the station appeared.

"Umm, hello. Er… can I sit here?" He asked and Laura looked at her brother and he gave a soft nod. "Yeah sure." James said.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter." He said shyly as he sat down next to Laura. James eyes widened.

"You… You! You survived the killing curse right? I was told about that in school." He said as Harry nodded. "I'm James Donovan by the way."

"I didn't know that. But I guess lots of people just stare at you like you're a weirdo. Am I right?" She said, looking at him. "Oh, and I'm Laura, James' younger sister."

"Yes, you're right. You don't seem from around here." He stated. James chuckled.

"We're Americans. We were transferred from Salem. I went to school there, so I am starting on my third year. Laura here is on her first." He said. Harry turned to her.

"So you'll be in my year?" She nodded.

"Excuse me? Do you mind? Everywhere else is full." A voice filled the cabin and the three kids turned to see Ron Weasley, the kid from the station. They looked at each other and Harry said, "Not at all." Ron went to sit down beside James.

"I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasley." He said cheerfully.

"I'm Laura Donovan. That's my older brother James." She said, James muttered a 'hi'.

"I'm Harry Potter." Ron's eyes widened immensely and Laura had to choke her own laughter.

"So, so it true!" He whispered. "I mean do you really have the- the.." He pointed his own head.

"The what?" Harry asked puzzled.

"The scar." He whispered again. "Oh." Harry said and lifted his hair from his forehead to let them see it. It was a lightning bolt-shaped scar on the right side of his forehead. Ron gasped.

"Wicked." He said.

He turned around to see the food trolley stop in front of their cabin. "Anything else to trolley, dears?" She asked. Ron hold up a bag on his hand and said, "No thanks. I'm all set." Laura and James shared a look and shook their heads. Harry looked at them and guided his hand to his pocket saying, "We'll take the lot."

"Wow." James said. He gave the money to the food trolley and she gave him the food and returned to his seat, closing the door.

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans?" Harry said suddenly, looking at the pack of candy and opening it.

"They mean every flavor." Ron said, taking a bite of his candy. "There's chocolate and peppermint, and there's also spinach and liver." Harry looked at him, grossed. By this point, the Donovan siblings were sitting together and Ron and Harry in the other bench. Harry took the Chocolate Frog package and frowned.

"These aren't real frogs, aren't they?" He said.

"Is just a spell. Besides, is the card you want. Each card's got a famous witch or wizard." Ron informed his mouth full of gummy. Harry opened the box and the frog jumped straight to the window.

"Watch it!" Ron yelled and Laura, eyes widened, moved to the far end of the bench. The frog kept moving up, and up until it jumped through the open window.

"Such a waste…" James sighed. Harry looked in his card and it said 'Albus Dumbledore'.

"I've got Dumbledore!" He said cheerfully. Ron grinned, "I've got six of him." He said. Harry looked at his card again and frowned. "Hey, it's gone!"

"Well, you can expect him to lie around all day, can you?" Laura said, arching her eyebrow. Harry looked at Ron's lap were a rat stuck its head in a candy box.

"This is Scabbers by the way. Pathetic isn't he?" Ron said pointing to the animal. "Just a little bit." Harry replied.

"Fred gave me a spell to turn him yellow. Want to see?" He looked at the others, who echoed a 'Yeah!' in unison. Ron took his wand and as he was about to say the word, a girl with bushy brown hair wearing the school robes opened the door and sighed.

"Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville lost one." She said, Ron shook his head and the others mimicked his actions. She looked at Ron's wand and grinned.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then." She said. Ron nodded and looked at his wand, moving it.

"Sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn the stupid ferret yellow." He said but nothing happened. He frowned while Laura and James tried to hold back a laugh.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well is not very good, is it?" Ron and Harry shared glances and he shrugged as the girl continued, with an air of superiority. "Of course, I believe if you tried a simple word spell, well it would work for me." Laura frowned this time, not liking her very much. The girl took a wand out of the inner pocket of her robes and walked into the cabin, sitting down next to Laura in front of Harry. "Example." She said pointing straight to Harry's eyes as he put on an alarmed expression.

"_Oculus Reparo."_ The girl said as a spark shot out of her wand. Harry took off his glasses and looked at them. "That's better, isn't it?" She said. Harry shocked looked at Ron, then at the siblings. Laura shrugged as James made an expression with his hands as if saying 'I don't know.'

"Oh, my god! You're Harry Potter!" She said as a streak of realization hit her. He still didn't say anything.

"I'm Hermione Granger." The girl said.

"That's a very weird name." Laura muttered but Hermione didn't pay attention. She turned to Ron, who was eating chocolate. "And you are?"

"Ron Weasley." He said, mouthful of chocolate. She looked at him, slightly grossed.

"Pleasure." She muttered, then turned to the siblings next to her.

"You two look alike. Well you also look very different, but there are some traits you share. You must be siblings." She inquired and James nodded. "I'm James Donovan." Said the blonde.

"I'm Laura, his sister." She said. "But how did you know? We don't look alike that much."

"You have the same skin color, same nose and same eyebrows. It mustn't be a coincidence." She stated. "I guess you are Americans. You don't have a British accent." Hermione said. The siblings nodded with their eyes slightly more opened than usual and susprised expression on their faces.

"You four must change into you robes. I expect we'll be arriving soon." She stood up and walked to the door. Then turned around one last time.

"You've got dirt in you nose by the way. Did you know? Just there." She pointed to the upper part of her nose, talking to Ron. Then leaving without saying any other word.

"Charming isn't she?" Laura said sarcastically.

It was dark at the moment they got to the station. Laura was looking through the window, now in her school robes, then looked at her friends, who were slightly asleep. She sighed and moved Harry and Ron, then kicked his brother's leg. When they woke up she announced, "We're here."

They got off the train and saw a big bearded man holding a lantern. "First years! First years over here! Don't be shy!" He yelled.

Harry, Ron, Laura and James were walking until they stopped in front of the tallest man they had ever seen. "Hey Harry!" He said cheerfully.

"Hello Hagrid." He said. He looked at James for a second.

"Are you James Donovan?" Hagrid asked him; intimidated by the man's height, nodded shyly. Hagrid smiled.

"I've been told that you must come with the first years and you will be sorted with them." He explained the boy. Lots of first years gathered behind them. "Alright follow me!" He said and they started to follow. They suddenly got to a row of boats and boarded them, seven people per boat. The group as they sailed across the lake came across a huge castle in the mountains. Ron, Harry, James and Laura stared star struck at the greatness of the castle in front of them.

"Wow." They said in unison, Ron not letting go of the lantern he was given. "This is were we're going to stay." Laura commented and Harry looked at her, disbelief in his face.

"No way!" He said. Laura looked at him. "Well, I'm not lying to you." She replied.

When they arrived on land they began ascending the stairs of the castle. Laura and James were very distracted looking at the surroundings while Harry and Ron were quiet walking beside them. They finally came across an old witch wearing a pointy black hat and dark emerald green robes. The huge group of first graders stopped in front of her.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" She said. "Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates but before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. There are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. While you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points and the rule-breaking will lose you points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup. The Sorting Ceremony will begin momentarily." She looked at the students and left.

"So it's true then." A boy with pushed-back insanely blonde hair and pale skin spoke. Laura, James, Ron and Harry turned around to see where he was. "What they said in the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts." He said. The students started whispering to each other. "This is Crabbe and Goyle." He pointed to two big bulky-like kids next to him. "And I'm Malfoy." He walked towards him. "Draco Malfoy." Ron chuckled. Draco glanced at him. "Think my name is funny do you? I don't need to ask you yours. Red hair and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley." He turned to Harry. He was about to speak when Laura cut him off.

"Hey!" He looked at her. "That was mean. You shouldn't be mean to others." She said angrily. Draco looked at her disgustingly.

"You are not from here, are you? You're one of those filthy disgusting Americans who think themselves better than us." He said. James' eyes widened at the guy's statement and he felt angry.

"Don't you talk to my sister like that!" He claimed. Draco laughed.

"So there's another one? Is this another plague like the Weasleys?"

"Shut the fuck up, Malfoy." Laura said. He looked at her with a fake expression of disbelief. "Language, American. I still didn't got your name." She rolled his eyes.

"My name is Laura Donovan. You better learn it." She spat. He looked at her brother and raised his eyebrow.

"I am James." He said coldly. Draco then turned to Harry.

"Well, Potter, you better learn that some wizard families are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort." He looked at Ron, then to the siblings. "I can help you there." He extended his hand, expecting a handshake. Harry looked down but didn't take it.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks." He said. Laura and James couldn't help but laugh. Malfoy frowned. The witch from earlier tapped Draco in the shoulder with a piece of parchment and then said.

"We ready for you now. Follow me." She guided them to a set of large wooden front doors and entered to a huge dining room with four long tables with people crowded in them. In front of the tables there was staircase with a chair and on top of it was a hat. James looked up and saw candles floating. So he poked Laura, Harry and Ron and pointed upwards to show them. They suddenly came to a halt. The witch spoke.

"Now before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words." She beckoned and old, tall man with a long white beard and long white hair, to stand up. Dumbledore spoke.

"I have a few start-of-term announcements before we start. The first years, please note, that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Thank you." He sat down. The witch opened the piece of parchment and announced:

"When you hear your name, you come here, sit down and I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head and you'll be sorted into your Houses. First of all, we will sort, an American third-year transfer. James Donovan if you please." James looked at his sister and walked to the chair, sat down, and the witch put the hat in his head. There were five seconds of silence before the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" James sat up and went to the Gryffindor table as the applause filled the room and sat down next to the Weasley twins.

"Now, the first years. Hermione Granger!" She said. The bushy-haired girl from earlier that day walked to the chair slowly and sat down on the chair.

"Mental that one. She is intelligent." Ron muttered as Harry and Laura nodded. The hat was placed on her head and it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" The table roared with applause as she ran with happiness to the table and sat down next to Percy Weasley.

"Draco Malfoy." The blond-haired kid walked to the chair and sat down as the witch lowered the hat. Barely touching his hair the hat yelled, "SLYTHERIN!" And the table roared with applause as he sat down with a grin.

"I just hope we don't get sorted there." Laura whispered as her friends nodded with approval.

Kids were kept being sorted for the next five minutes, lots of them in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. But also tons of friendly-looking people being sorted into Gryffindor.

"Ronald Weasley." Ron gasped after hearing his name. Harry and Laura looked at him as he walked to the chair and sat down. The hat after being put in his head said, "What? Another Weasley! I know just where to put you, GRYFFINDOR!" Ron sighed in relief as the table applauded cheerfully. Harry and Laura smiled.

"Laura Donovan." She widened his eyes in horror as Harry patted her back in a comforting way. She walked up to the chair and sat down while the witch put the hat in her head.

"The other American! Ah, I've seen lots of minds like yours! Brave and smart it is! I know where you belong, dear. GRYFFINDOR!" Laura smiled uncontrollably as her new house roared in applause. She stood up and walked to the table, sitting down next to James and across from Hermione.

"I feel so good!" James said hugging his sister dearly, she returned the hug.

"Aww, look at that. That's brotherly love." Spoke one of the twins. "Yeah we don't have that. We like to tick off people." Said the other. "I'm Fred. And this is George. James, I think we'll be roommates." Fred said. James smiled, already finding new friends of his own.

"Harry Potter." They turned around and felt the room go awfully quiet as Harry sat on the chair and the witch put the hat on his head.

"He better be with us." Said Ron, "I mean, we three get along very well." He said to Laura and they bumped fists.

"Mmm, difficult," said the Sorting Hat, "Very difficult, plenty of courage I see, and not a bad mind either, talent, oh yes. And the thirst to prove yourself, but where to put you?" There was silence for a couple of seconds. "Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great you know? It's all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness, there's no doubt about that. No? Well, if you're sure, better be. GRYFFINDOR!" The table roared with applause as Harry made his way to the table were his new friends were. He hugged both Ron and Laura at the same time and shook hands with lots of people, then sat down.

"Guys, I have the feeling that this year is going to be awesome!" Laura said as her new friends nodded.

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**Author's note:** Well, what did you think? I know it's a long chapter, but I wanted to show you how she met every single one of her new friends and enemies *cough* possible boyfriend *cough*.

I'll be making a preview of the next chapter at the end of each one so you have an idea of what's coming on :D But that's beggining next chapter hehe


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